Spectators make their way past a scoreboard that toppled over behind the first tee after a severe thunderstorm passed through on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. / Phelan M. Ebenhack, AP

by Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY Sports

by Steve DiMeglio, USA TODAY Sports

In his quest to become No. 1 again, to win for the 77th time on the PGA Tour and for the third time this year, Woods rolled in a 10-foot putt for birdie on the second hole at Bay Hill to extend his lead to three strokes in Sunday's final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Then a massive storm rolled in.

And no one hit another shot.

So Woods will have to wait another day to try and become No. 1 in the world for the first time in 29 months. Sustained winds reaching 60 mph battered the course and nearly 1.5 inches of rain drenched it in less than 90 minutes, rendering the course unplayable. A tornado warning was issued and winds reaching 85 mph were reported at Orlando International Airport.

Play is scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. ET Monday. Golf Channel will have the broadcast.

"We just got so much rain and wind," said Mark Russell, vice president of Rules and Competitions for the Tour. "We've got some bunker problems; we've got a lot of standing water; that is the main thing. It just got to the point where we weren't going to be able to get the golf course ready. I mean, they're going to go out now and work till dark, and then do the same thing at daybreak in the morning and try to get ready to play. We just got unlucky with the weather. That micro burst on the radar was about the size of a pinhead, but it hit us directly."

Play was suspended at 2:03 p.m. and called for the day at 4:05 p.m.

Forty-three players still have to finish, including Charles Howell III, who was facing a putt on 18 before the horn blew and play was suspended.

Woods is 41-2 in his career with the outright lead after 54 holes, and he led by two when play began in the final round. His birdie at the par-3 second moved him to 12 under, and he leads playing partner Rickie Fowler, Keegan Bradley, Ken Duke and John Huh by three shots.

"We didn't get in much," Woods said. "We got in two holes, and hopefully the course will be drained, and we can get after it (Monday)."

This is the third time this year that a Tour event will not finish on Sunday. The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, which Woods won, was delayed until Monday because of fog, and high wind forced the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii to a Tuesday finish.

"We've dealt with this before," Woods said. "This is part of playing outside. We've got to deal with conditions like this."